The Harsh Awakening

The heavy wooden door clicked shut, mercifully severing the predatory stares of Dario and Santino out in the hallway. A profound wave of relief rushed through me as the maid hurried forward with a crisp white sheet, instantly draping it over my trembling, exposed flesh.

"Come, Mistress. It is time to get you dressed," she murmured in a soft, soothing tone that felt entirely foreign in this brutal